Business
24 November, 2025
BREAKING: Harmony's Eva copper mine given green light
More than $2 billion will be spent to get the mine up and running north of Cloncurry.
South African-based mining company Harmony has delivered a major boost to North West Queensland, announcing today that its board has officially approved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Eva Copper Project at Cloncurry – a landmark green light that locks in more than US$1.5 billion in investment and sets the region up for one of the biggest resource developments in its modern history.
The decision propels Eva from planning into full-scale development, confirming that construction will now accelerate ahead of first production, targeted for the second half of 2028.
Harmony, which owns 100 per cent of the project, expects the mine to produce around 65,000 tonnes of copper concentrate a year during its opening five years and average 60,000 tonnes annually over its 15-year life. Gold output is also forecast at about 19,000 ounces a year.
Independent forecasts from ACIL Allen suggest the project could contribute more than $17 billion to Queensland’s gross state product during its life, underscoring the scale of the economic windfall headed for the North West.
Local businesses across construction, transport, engineering, fabrication, maintenance, accommodation, aviation and services are now preparing for significant contracting opportunities as Harmony ramps up activity.
The mine is fully permitted, pending an Environmental Authority amendment, and early works are already progressing on the ground. With capital costs estimated at between US$1.55 billion and US$1.75 billion (AUD 2.3-2.6 billion), Harmony says Eva will operate as an open-pit, low-strip-ratio copper project supported by an all-in sustaining cost of around US$2.50 per pound – placing it competitively on the global copper cost curve.
Its power requirements will be supplied via a bespoke hybrid system combining a 118 MW solar farm, 62 MW of battery storage and 72 MW of modular diesel generation, designed to achieve roughly 40 per cent renewable penetration.
The arrival of CopperString is also expected to play a major role if it is eventually constructed.
Harmony also highlighted its long-standing engagement with the Kalkadoon people, the Traditional Owners of the land, and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring local and regional communities benefit from the project’s long-term development.
With global copper demand surging due to electrification, renewable energy technologies, and critical minerals strategies, the Eva project positions the North West as a major supplier in the international copper market at a time when new production is urgently needed.